Jonny Williams says he has never felt as low in football as after Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Bristol City, and it has made Tuesday’s visit of Bolton Wanderers “make or break” for a squad he claims is the best he has played for in the Championship.

Goals from Bobby Reid and Milan Djuric either side of Lewis Grabban’s equaliser condemned the Black Cats to a seventh league defeat this season. Bolton can send them bottom of the table with victory at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday.

“It’s a very low time for all of us, all of our careers,” said on-loan Williams, who was making his first start in seven matches. “It is a very testing time for us. We want to do the manager and the fans proud. We all need to group together in whatever way because Tuesday is make or break, we have to win. However we do it doesn’t matter.

“We all knew how big it was before Saturday’s game. It’s going to be even bigger now.”

The Black Cats are so low on confidence it can look as if they are not trying hard enough – not what manager Simon Grayson needs as his job comes under increasing scrutiny. Williams was quick to argue that is not the case.

“There’s not one of us who doesn’t want to win for him, he has believed in us every step of the way,” said the Wales midfielder. “He gives us a gameplan and he doesn’t step on to the pitch.

“I don’t think it’s a case of not trying. I don’t think that all. I think this is a great group of lads and I was positive before the game. In games I have been involved in I don’t think I have ever experienced being as low as on Saturday.”

If effort is not lacking, neither is ability says Williams, who has appeared for Crystal Palace, Ipswich Town, Milton Keynes Dons and Nottingham Forest in the second tier.

“I have played in teams that have gone up, this team is as equally good as them,” he insisted. “It’s a good squad of players, good personalities, no egos, I don’t know what the problem is.

“We need to get ahead in games because as soon as we go down we are fighting against a steep hill. When we do pass the ball around and dominate teams we look equally as good as anyone in the league, I saw Sheff United win on Friday and I thought our squad is equally as good as theirs but we are miles away. We need to start to win games ASAP.

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“In previous games, you could take positives from the way we have played but Saturday was incredibly frustrating and tough to play in on a personal level. A lot of teams have come here and enjoyed playing football when we don’t seem to be enjoying it ourselves.

“I think we are finding it hard, as soon as we go one down we find it even harder. You think it is going to turn but the luck isn’t going our way.

“It was a stonewall penalty in the first half, the handball (by Eros Pisano from a Didier Ndong shot), I couldn’t believe it wasn’t given, but it’s all ifs and buts.”